You Know I Hate You, Right?
by beautifulxxxchaos
Summary: Why would she do that to me? I hate her. I hate her more than words could describe. I hate her... But then... why are my lips still tingling? - Dramione. Disregards books 6&7. Some smut. I don't own anything but the plot. Please, be nice with the reviews.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_**Draco**_

I hated the way the train sounded as it left the station. The rumbling that came from the engine reminded me of some terrifying beast, more frightening than dragons, that had taken me hostage and decided to drag me somewhere that I didn't want to go, a place that I _never_ wanted to go.

I didn't hate Hogwarts, per se; it was more of an annoyance than anything. I was forced to learn inconsequential things, surrounded by people that I didn't like, even hated, people that were _so much lower than me…_ It was beyond pathetic.

I hated the fact that there was a shiny little badge now pinned to the expensive fabric of my uniform. _Head Boy… _The words had rolled off my tongue when I had gotten my yearly letter. I was more than a little shocked, but Dumbledore was madder than a hatter at times. I hated the responsibility that came with the title. I hated the fact that I would have to follow the rules that I had so long crusaded to break. I loved the power, but at what cost was I getting it?

The thing that I hated most about the entire set up was that I had been unbearably tricked. I was so caught up in the power of my new position that I didn't think about who I'd be sharing it with. I was stuck dealing with _her_ for all of what was supposed to be the best year of my life. _Of course_ it would be Granger. Why the hell not? She was only one of Dumbledore's precious pets. But no, I didn't see it coming, so I was stuck in this little compartment on a train that was hauling me off to that obnoxious little school with the Mudblood Granger sitting across from me, only moving to turn the page of her book. She hadn't spoken a word to me, not even when I had insulted her as she entered the compartment. The only sound she made was that of her breathing. She was so intent on her book, her breath sounded like that of someone who was sleeping.

She was really pissing me off.

Just as I was about to open my mouth and tell her so, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Granger called out, almost absentmindedly.

Professor McGonagall walked in, looking-like she always did- as though there was a stick shoved properly up her ass. "Hello Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy. Are you enjoying the train ride so far?"

"Not really," I said at the same time Granger said, "It's fine."

"Well, okay then. I was stopping by to lay out a list of your duties for this year. You will have to patrol the train for the last hour until we pull into the school. Make sure everyone is in their uniforms, that first years are aware of what will be going on, and that no one is misbehaving. Understand?" We both nodded and she continued. "Good. When we arrive at the school, you can take the carriages up as you usually would. After the feast, you will help the prefects get the first years out of the Great Hall without incident. When they are all gone, you will come with me and I will show you the way to your dorm. As I'm sure you know, the Head Boy and Head Girl have a separate dorm set aside for them to use throughout the year. We'll get more to that after the feast, though. You will also have patrols to do during the week, and you will have to schedule those and the prefects' rounds. There are events throughout the year that Headmaster Dumbledore and I will be asking you to complete, so keep an eye out for those… Do either of you have any questions?"

"Just one. Do I really have to share a room with that Mudblood?"

"You will watch your mouth, Mr. Malfoy."

"Don't bother, Professor. It's fine, honestly. I don't care. If there's some way for the two of us to be split up, then I recommend you do it, if only to save yourself from having to yell at him all the time."

"And what does that mean, Granger? Think I'll fuck this up, huh?"

"Of course I do, Malfoy. I don't understand why Dumbledore gave you this position in the first place, but the fact of the matter is, he did. I have to deal with that, but at least I know I deserve this position."

"Miss Granger-!"

"My apologies, Professor. I should really get on that patrol now, shouldn't I? We're about an hour away now, if I'm guessing right." She brushed past McGonagall and out the door, disappearing down the corridor.

"You would do well to try and make peace with her. There isn't a way to split you up, so you're going to have to deal with her, just like she said she would do with you. You can at least try since you've been given one of the most prestigious titles at Hogwarts. Just try. Now, I'll be off. You should continue the patrol. I think she turned left, so you can head right. That way you'll cover the whole train and not have to run into each other. Good day, Mr. Malfoy."

With that she was gone, and I buried my head in my hands. I was going to hate this year more than I thought I would. Granger may not be openly aggressive, but she sure was on a short fuse. I may actually have to watch my back around her.

I stood up, straightened my robe, and walked out of the compartment to complete my patrol.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_**Hermione**_

Oh, how he infuriated me. I was so thrilled when I got the position of Head Girl. It was a goal I had set when I was in my first year, and I had finally achieved it. I stopped thinking it would happen with the war and everything else that had been going on. But after this summer, after _everything _that had happened this summer, it had. I couldn't have been happier. I didn't care who the Head Boy would be because I didn't think it would be a Slytherin, and that was all that mattered to me. Even if it was, by some crazy chance, I knew there were some in there who were dedicated to learning and didn't care all that much about partying like the rest of them. Dumbledore would surely pick one of them.

But no, of course not. It was Malfoy. How precious.

Fuck him.

Walking down the hallway on the train, checking everything out to make sure the students were okay and that everyone knew what was going on, it was a little mind numbing, something that I guess was good for me. I realized, by about the 10th compartment I checked, that I definitely should have properly apologized to McGonagall. I hated Malfoy, but she didn't deserve that kind of treatment from me.

I saw the compartment the boys were in, together with Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, and Ron's younger sister Ginny. Our trio had grown quite a bit over the years. I vowed I would stop in there last so I could rant before I had to be separated to a different dorm for this year. Plus, Ron was a prefect (somehow…) so I had to make sure he was adjusting well.

It took me almost the full hour to scour my half of the train. I hadn't run into Malfoy, so I was hoping he took the other half. If not… Oh well. It happens. After interrupting 5 snogging couples and 2 more that already had their clothes off, I wasn't quite in the mood to look in any more compartments. When I opened the door to the compartment my friends were sharing, I was immediately greeted with smiles and Ginny saying, "Tell us _everything."_

So I did, and that lasted until we got to school. I forgot I had to talk to Ron, and it was already too late with everyone bustling around. I made another vow that I would get to it when the insanity of the first night was over.

When I stepped off the train, I could see the lights of Hogwarts flickering off in the distance. My breath caught in my chest for a minute; I had forgotten how much this place felt like home to me. After the last few months, I needed to feel it's security wrap around me. I only snapped out of my daydream when Ginny nudged me to tell me the carriages were here.

The feast went off without a hitch. Dumbledore gave his usual opening speech, warning about the Forbidden Forest, welcoming all the first years. It was nice, familiar. He then touched on the one thing all the students had waited for, the announcement that the war was over, and that this year was a time to celebrate. I glanced at the Slytherin table in the midst of the applause that had exploded around us all. There were fewer students there than ever before, but still more than I had expected. The kids that were there were the ones trying to pretend their family wasn't in jail for supporting the Dark Lord, or dead, or worse. It was like we were all just trying to get on with it and be normal for the first time since the Dark Lord had made his official appearance.

I realized I was still glancing over there when a pair of silver eyes latched on to mine. I almost couldn't pull away, but then I saw the familiar sneer. Malfoy was going to be the death of me this year, especially if he made me keep having these mood swings.

When the feast was over and we helped get everyone where they needed to go, McGonagall came over to where Draco and I waited, on ends of the entry to the hall. She led us both up a flight of stairs and down a hallway that was mostly abandoned classrooms. It was mainly the floor that teachers stayed on. The portrait they stopped at was of a summer field. It had one tree off to the side, and a young woman sat beneath it, almost sunbathing.

"Password?" the woman chimed in a clear, high pitched voice.

"Cassiopeia," Professor McGonagall said in a clear, teacherly tone. The portrait swung open revealing a spacious common room that had a fire already lit and books lining the walls. It was gorgeous. McGonagall led us into the space and said, "Now, Miss Granger, your room is to the left. Mr. Malfoy, yours is on the right. You share a bathroom, and there is a door in each of your rooms that leads to it. Your trunks are already upstairs. There is a kitchen, as you can see, and a large enough common room for the both of you. I ask that you respect each other's space, and figure out arrangements for visitors. You are both allowed to have them, of course. If you ever want anything in particular for the kitchen, leave a list on the table. A house elf will be by every Friday to tidy up and get the list and what not. Do either of you have any questions?"

When we both shook our heads, she bid us goodnight and left.

"Well, Granger, looks like this is it. I have some rules you have to follow- "I rolled my eyes, but he continued, "If there is ever a robe on my door, you are not to even consider knocking. You are not to touch any of my things, and all company must have at least a day's worth of notice before they come over. I take my showers in the morning, so you can work around that. Understand?"

"You plan on following your own rules except with regards to me, right? Don't touch my things, warn me about company…"

"Yes, Granger, I don't want this any more fucked up than it already is."

"Then, no, I don't have any more questions."

"Good."

He stalked off to his room, leaving me alone to ogle everything around me. It was a beautiful place, except for the one glaring problem: Malfoy was there as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_**Draco**_

The dorm was nice enough, I guess. Having our own kitchen was convenient, and the common room was half-decent. My room was even quite close to my standards, I just had to change the sheets to the silk ones I brought with me, and all would be right with the world. They had stuck with a nice grey and black theme. It was rather comforting. I opened the door to examine the bathroom which was surprisingly nice as well. A Jacuzzi bathtub with the assortment of scents and water commands that always came with a bath at Hogwarts, a stand-alone shower with the same array of jets as the tub, and a double sink with separate storage for each of us. At least I wouldn't have to touch any of her stuff.

As I was finishing my inspection of the room, the other door opened and Hermione walked in. She stopped when she saw me, and her slight smile turned into a frown. "I would like to have a shower tonight, Malfoy, if you would let me know when you are done examining the bathroom."

Her slight-albeit sarcastic- civility caught me off guard for a moment and all I could think of to say was, "Whatever."

She turned on her heel and left, and what I saw of her room was almost identical to mine, color scheme and all, but I think there was more purple in there. I half expected the blaring red and gold of her house colors with how much she prattles on about it. I knocked twice on the door that lead to her room from the bathroom before heading back to my room, hoping she understood that to mean that I was leaving there. She must have, because a few minutes later, I heard the water start to run and the scent of lavender began to drift into my room.

If it wasn't making me so damn tired, I would have set a spell to keep the scent out. I made a note to do that tomorrow before stripping to nothing and falling into bed. The cotton sheets were nice enough for the night, so I also put changing them on my list for tomorrow. As far as I was concerned, it could wait.

Before I drifted off, I heard something that sounded like a half moan, half sigh escape from the bathroom. I hated her so much.

I was happy to see that I had Potions for my first class, even though Snape was no longer with us. He had been my favorite teacher at Hogwarts, mostly because his disregard for the rules, but the new teacher was a decent fellow as well, even if he was a little too friendly with the Golden Trio. I zoned out on his welcoming speech until I heard my name.

"Mr. Malfoy, you shall be paired with Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, you shall be paired with Mr. Weasley…" his list went on, and Granger came over to sit at the empty seat next to me, looking as self-righteous as ever. God, this year would suck.

The first assignment was a quick refresher course on a simple potion. We spoke as little as possible, only to hand each other ingredients and check the steps we were on. We were the first ones to complete the assignment, and one of only a handful of groups that did it correctly. We were awarded with 10 points to each of our houses and the ability to leave since we were done. She was heading in the same direction I had to travel, so I followed her closely to see if there was anything that would pop up I could use against her. She simply made her way to what I would assume was her next class, and I was dismayed to notice it was the same class I was supposed to go to next. I had the disturbing feeling that our schedules were identical and that we would end up paired together again. At least my grades wouldn't suffer because of her.

I turned to find somewhere else to hang out for the half hour that was left until class began, and saw Pansy Parkinson half way down the hall from me. I called her name, and she left her small group of friends to come over to me.

"What say you about breaking in one of these classrooms for the new term?" her eyes lit up and I dragged her down the hall as she yelled a quick goodbye to her friends. We veered into the first empty classroom we found, and I was so grateful it had a desk. I wasn't in the mood to have to hold her up.

Within two minutes, her underwear were somewhere across the room, her shirt was (literally) torn open, and I was between her legs, fucking her to get the image of the brunette I had so carelessly stalked out of my head. I hated her, and took that aggression out on Pansy, who thought I was just extremely happy to see her.

Poor little slut.

When I was done, I left her to clean herself up with the excuse that I had to get to class. I walked in one minute before the class started, fixing my only slightly disheveled hair. I was paired up with Granger again, as I had suspected I would be, and the class dragged by slowly. The smell of lavender from her shower still lingered in her hair, and every time she moved, the scent would waft in my direction. I hated her so much.

The classes went on like this throughout the day, the only class we weren't paired in being Defense Against the Dark Arts. She was paired with some poor bloke from Hufflepuff who didn't seem like he could hurt a fly. She'd eat him alive, even I had to admit that. She was quite a fighter.

After dinner that night, I skipped out on going back to the dorm. Instead, I sought the companionship of my fellow Slytherines. It wouldn't hurt if Pansy was there either… I wasn't completely… satisfied from out single encounter. It was so nice to have an easy fuck around when you needed one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_**Hermione**_

Having the dorm to myself was quite nice, a luxury I didn't think I would have much of this year. I showered, changed into pj's, and curled up on the couch with some tea and the latest novel I was reading. After a day paired up with Malfoy, I needed an escape more than ever. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until Draco came stumbling in, more than half drunk, scaring the piss out of me. I checked the clock and it said 1:00 in the morning. I was rather amused that it was only the first day and he had messed up this badly.

"What are you looking at, Granger?"

"Nothing exciting, really."

"Oh, piss off. I'm going to bed."

"Good for you, Malfoy. Good for you." I half chuckled as he made his way, teetering, up the small staircase to his room. I bet he would feel that when he woke up.

The next morning, I actually pitied Malfoy for how bad his hangover looked. We were allowed to make any potion from the first chapter of the book, and I mentioned the one that cured hangovers was in there. He simply glared at me in response.

"Seriously, Malfoy, I have to deal with you for the rest of the day, and if you're even more of a miserable prick than usual, I don't know if I can handle it. It's going to be quite quick to make, so you can take some soon."

"Whatever, Granger, so long as it gets you to shut up."

Half an hour later, a sickeningly yellow colored potion sat in our cauldron waiting for inspection. Once it was approved, I pulled a vial out of my bag and put some of the potion in there before handing it to Malfoy. He begrudgingly took it, and I put the rest into three other bottles. We were given the okay to leave since we were once again finished early, and we ran into Professor McGonagall in the hallway.

"Ah, good. I was just coming to get you two. You're getting your first assignment from Dumbledore, and he wanted me to get you out of class so he could explain it to you. If you'll follow me, we're heading up to his office."

The three of us walked in silence until we reached his office. He welcomed us in before McGonagall could knock, and Malfoy and I took a seat across the desk from him.

"How are the two of you doing? Is the dorm to your liking?"

"It would be better if we weren't sharing it," Malfoy muttered.

"Oh, it can't be that bad. There's plenty of space so that neither of you would have to see each other if you didn't want to. I hate to say that you will have to spend a little bit of time together in order to complete the task I'm giving you now. I would like to host a Halloween Ball, and I would like the two of you to plan it," Dumbledore announced proudly.

The silence was palpable. I think, for once, Draco and I agreed on something: that Dumbledore had lost it.

"We think it would be a good idea to give the students something to liven them up. After… well, after such a terrible summer, we all deserve it. I know with your organizational skills, Miss Granger, and your good taste, Mr. Malfoy, I think it would be well worth it to have the both of you do this. I know it will be a… a struggle, but we have the utmost confidence in you," McGonagall said, breaking the silence.

"When do you need the plans by? And is there a budget that we should be worried about?" I asked, figuring I'd just bite the bullet.

"By the end of the week, Sunday night at the latest. And as for budget, I think a party celebrating the end of a war that has gone on for too long should have no bounds," Dumbledore said, smiling that damned smile of his.

"If your plan gets approved," McGonagall began in her business tone, "You will have one week to gather samples of the fabric, lighting, and other things, or at least detailed drawings of the objects. Once that is done, you will work with the prefects and one other person from each house to get the designing done. You will have to delegate tasks and keep them in control. I'm hoping by this point, you will stop going at each other's throats. You will also have to organize trips to Hogsmead to shop for the things you need in order to pull this off and for students to get their costumes if they so wish. Are there any questions?"

"Is there anything off limits?" Malfoy asked, which surprised me.

"Well, keep it school appropriate. No alcohol, no nudity, no profanities spray painted everywhere… And don't make it _too _scary. We want it to be enjoyable, not horrifying."

"I'm looking forward to see what the both of you come up with," Dumbledore smiled at us again. "I hope it all goes well with you."

"Thank you, Headmaster, Professor. Was there anything else?" I asked, eager to get the ideas I had in my head down on paper as soon as I could.

"Nope, that's all. You both can go."

As we left the office and headed to our next class, I finally broke the silence, "Malfoy, when should we work on this? You have the busier schedule, so I can really work around whatever you have planned…"

"I forgot you had so little of a life. I don't want to work on this with you at all, so I'm debating if we should have short meetings over the course of a couple days, or bite the bullet and get as much done as we can in one night."

"We may as well stick with that last option. Once ideas start, sometimes it's harder to stop them. It would also be easier scheduling time out of the rest of our schedules if we could just take one day and get it done…"

"Whatever, Granger."

"What night?"

"Let's get it done tonight. Anything goes wrong, we still have the rest of the time to get it done."

"Very well. I'll meet you in the dorm after diner then."

"Make it around 8:00. I have a house call to make. There's this 6th year in my house who won't stop giving me puppy eyes. I think I'd rather see her face in a different light…"

"You're disgusting. Whatever. I'll be in the dorm, you can come back whenever the hell you want."

"What? Don't like hearing about my conquests? Is it because poor little Granger isn't getting any?"

"Piss off, Malfoy. You aren't even worth my time," I said before making an abrupt right turn down a hallway that would take me around to my class the long way. I was really grateful that he decided not to follow me. Who did he think he was? Just because I hadn't slept with anyone... He was an asshole for even bringing up sex in the first place. That perverted, low life, piece of scum…


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_**Draco**_

It had been a very good idea to sleep with my little admirer. She was so easy to be talked into bed, and she was eager to please. It was almost stupidly simple. She hadn't been a virgin, but she was so tight she may as well have been.

But I had to go face Granger, a though that immediately killed whatever high I had. It was already 8:15. She'd probably bitch me out or try to hex me or something stupid like that. She was so predictable.

I strolled casually into the dorm, awaiting the stream of insults, only to find her drinking a cup of cocoa and sketching something in a notebook.

"Ah, finally, you made it. I left the water on in case you wanted something to drink. I figured you'd be late anyway. I have some ideas already, so if you could get settled in or whatever, we can begin."

What the fuck was this? I had been expecting feisty Granger, angry Granger, but she wasn't there at all. She even left the bloody water on in case I wanted a bloody drink! She was so fucking stupid.

"Are you just going to stand there, or… I don't know… get to work already?"

"Why don't you fight back anymore? Why don't you get angry so easily?" I asked, instantly regretting my words.

She set the sketchbook down in her lap and took a sip of her cocoa before speaking. "I faced a lot over the summer, Malfoy. Perhaps more than even you- with your sick, twisted sense of right and wrong. You're a mosquito bite more than anything. Annoying, but nothing serious."

I didn't know what to say. I just stomped into the kitchen, poured some water for tea, and plopped on the couch next to her so we could plan the damned dance.

By midnight, we had the general idea down. Instead of a regular costume party, it would be a masquerade. Instead of black and orange, it would be black and silver. Blue orbs would light the ceiling in place of the usual floating candles, and we decided a DJ-not live music- would be best for the times. We had a basic list of some of the things we needed to get, but after 3 ½ hours of planning, we just weren't quite done. We decided to take more time Thursday to get it done before heading our separate ways. She asked if I was going to use the shower before bed, and I told her no.

By the time I settled in between the new silk sheets I had put down on my bed, I heard the water running. The scent of lavender once again wafted into my room. I heard another soft moan/sigh drift in with it, and I found that I began picturing her in there, soaping up, washing the hair that was no longer un-tamable. I imagined those moans being caused by my hands or my hips…

When I snapped out of it, I felt a rather pesky bump in my boxers. I was disgusted with myself, so I decided to ignore it as a punishment to myself and so I didn't have to pay attention to how badly I wanted her beneath me…

I woke up the next morning and took a cold shower; the night before had left me feeling disgusted, and I wanted any traces of the memory scrubbed from my skin. The day was boring, with the only highlight being Quidditch practice that night. I turned down the invitation to join the team for after practice drinks and headed back to the dorm to wash away the sweat I had just worked up.

I entered and heard laughing, and it all came back to me. The day before, while we were planning for that stupid dance, Granger told me she was going to have some friends over for a study session. I wished I had remembered.

"Well, if it isn't the Golden Trio, plus another redhead? Gods, how many of you are there, Weasley?"

"Piss off, Malfoy," was the retort from Weasley.

"How original. I'm going to try to be offended… Nope, don't think that's going to work."

"We had a deal, Malfoy. I told you they'd be here with plenty of advanced notice. You have no right to piss them off like this."

"You made deals with this bastard?"

"Ron, calm down. We needed some sort of compromise since we're living together."

"I think Weasley's jealous. Pissed off I'm the one living with your girl and not you? How pathetic."

"Why you-!"

"Ron calm down," Granger said, grabbing his arm to hold him back.

"Hermione, just let him go. The asshole deserves to get his ass kicked," the other Weasley said.

"Ginny, I had hoped for more from you. Both of you, behave yourselves."

"I don't know, 'Mione. I'm on their side. Can't we just kick his ass, just once?" Potter said, malice seeping into his voice as well.

"The lot of you should just calm down. Malfoy is leaving, now, to go up to his room or wherever. We shouldn't be bothered with him."

"It looks like your friends haven't developed that apathy you have. Was the war kinder to them?"

"You bastard! We weren't tortured like she-!"

"Ronald Weasley, I will kindly ask you to shut your _fucking _mouth or you will be forced to leave. Malfoy, go to bed or whatever it was you were here to do. They'll be gone shortly anyway. We were just finishing up this assignment." I stood still for a moment, trying to process what I had heard, until I heard her say, almost in a whisper, "_Please, _Malfoy. Please leave."

I turned on my heel and marched up to my room. I stripped off my clothes and grabbed new ones to shower with. I turned the water up as hot as it would go, adding peppermint in hopes that it would help this new found headache disappear. I tried to ignore it, but eventually had to lean my head against the wall.

Granger was tortured? That would sure explain a lot…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_**Hermione**_

"What the hell was all that about?" Ron asked almost as soon as Malfoy disappeared into his room. "You shouldn't talk to people that you call your friends that way!"

"Well, people that I call my friends shouldn't go blabbing on about things that shouldn't be spoken about, now should they? What the hell possessed you to bring that up, Ron? And why couldn't you all just shut up when I asked you to? I need to live with him all year, you know. It's not like I can really get out of here," I replied, the anger still fresh in my heart.

"He should know what his… his allies did to you. One of them was Bellatrix, his dear sweet aunt! He should know what happened to you!"

"It wasn't his fault-."

"So you defend him now? Really, Hermione? After everything?" Ginny said, standing to leave.

"There has been too much blame put places where it doesn't belong during this damned war. It's over now, done with. He was a _child _who simply believed what his father told him. He wanted to impress the man who helped give him life. That's all any of us want to do. He's no different. Just because his ideas were different from ours… God. The war is over! I just want some peace and quiet and time to try and forget what happened to me. I don't want it dragged up as… as some sort of excuse for my behavior! I don't need anyone or anything to make excuses for me! I'll be damned if I sit here and play the victim any longer!"

"'Mione…" Harry started, trying to comfort me.

"No. I don't want pity either. Just… Just go. You guys can figure out the rest of this assignment yourselves."

They packed up, knowing I was beyond reasoning with, and made their way out of the dorm. Once they were gone, I collapsed against the couch, head resting on the back of it, eyes closed. I was just starting to adjust to life without the war. I wanted to forget everything, but I just… I just couldn't get the images out of my head.

That woman's laughter still haunted my mind. The feeling of the spells she used came back with vivid clarity. I even remembered the way the stone floor felt against my face, the way the chains felt around my wrists, even the fabric of the clothes- if they could be called that- they put on me. It was disgusting. I had never felt so dirty in my life. And afterwards…

I shuddered. I didn't want to remember those weeks. I was barely even a person during that time…

I didn't hear Malfoy until he turned the water on in the kitchen. My head snapped up, and I wiped the tears that had formed in my eyes away.

"I'm making tea. Should I put extra water in so you can have a cup?"

"You don't need to pity me because you found that out, Malfoy."

"Would you like tea or not, Granger?"

I sighed. "Yes, thank you."

He sat on the chair opposite of me, and I began to clear up the books I had been using to study. I could feel him looking at me, but I wouldn't give in. Finally, after all my books were put away, he sighed.

"Alright. Why don't we work on the plans for the dance? Neither of us have anything to do, and you don't look like you want to sleep. We can kill some time until we're tired…" he said, clearly giving up on getting any information out of me.

"That sounds great, actually. I wanted to work on them anyway. I'll go grab some stuff I was working on. I'll be right back."

"Okay. I'll be here."

I changed into pjs before heading back with my Muggle design magazines and sketchbook. He looked confused by my armload of stuff, but when I put them on the table, he began to flip through them. I noticed him squinting at the cover of one of them, turning it this way and that, until I couldn't take it anymore.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?"

"The pictures… They don't move…" he said, almost awestruck.

"Have you… Have you never seen a Muggle magazine?"

"Oh that's what these are. Why do you have them now?"

"They have a lot of good ideas in them. These are all ones on Halloween. My family has collected a few over the years. I have some ideas bookmarked, like different drinks or hors d'oeuvres. Some of the design ideas are nice, as well."

"But will they translate well from Muggle parties to our type of parties?"

I bit my tongue on all the comments that were bubbling to the surface. "They will. It's not that hard. We can look at some of them and see how they play into what we already had planned."

We sifted through a few of the magazines and he was oohing and aahing as much as I was when I first saw some of the stuff. I made note of our favorites, and when he didn't say anything for a few minutes, I asked if anything was wrong.

"I was just thinking… I was wrong. These things are pretty cool, and I know my comment about if they'd translate made them seem like they were lower than the usual decorations because they were Muggle made. I'm sorry I shot them down so quickly."

"Oh, well, okay then," I checked the clock to avoid giving away the fact that I was completely floored by his response to this. "Oh, Gods. It's already 11:30. I really should be getting to bed."

"Yeah, we do have class tomorrow morning…"

"Yeah… Goodnight, Malfoy."

"Goodnight, Granger."

I made my way up to my room, letting the magazines stay on the table so he could look through them more if he wanted to. It had been a much too stressful day, and I was grateful to be able to strip and climb into bed. I was asleep almost before my head hit the pillow.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I wanted to thank everyone who has commented so far. It's really great motivation. I also kind of wanted to apologize for the length of the chapters. I know a lot of people pride themselves on writing huge chapters and updating once a week, but with this, I can update more often and better translate the back and forth between Hermione and Draco. I hope that was coming across okay. **

**Thanks again!**

**Chaos.**

**Chapter Seven**

_**Draco**_

Two weeks flew by faster than I thought it would. We submitted our plan for the ball to Dumbledore and McGonagall, who approved of everything, and spent the next week finding models of the things we wanted to include. Granger became an asset at that point, as much as I hated to admit it. The little mudblood had good connections with the tailor in Hogsmead and was able to gather the fabrics that we wanted to use from there. She was also great at drawing, so I left her to the task of sketching out the items we didn't want to buy if we didn't absolutely have to. I perfected the spell we needed so we could have the orb lighting as we had wanted. The presentation went off without a hitch, and we were told we would get the committee together in two weeks, during the first week of October, so we could set things in motion. One thing was sure: October would be crazy.

"I'm heading down to Hogsmead, Malfoy. Do you need anything?" Granger asked as we left the meeting. She had been a lot more… civil with me since we began this project. I hated how it was simply because that's who she was. Deep down, I don't think she gave a damn. She was just her usual, self-righteous, stuck up-

"Well? Do you need anything?" her words brought me out of that train of thought quickly.

"I was thinking of heading down there myself."

"Alright. I was just going to drop this stuff off and get changed, if you wanted to head down together. If not, you can go on ahead."

"Why would I want to go with you anyway?"

"I have to pick up more samples of fabric for the dance, and there's someone down there who might have those candelabras that we wanted. I want to buy locally, if we can, and I wanted to check some stuff out. I was also going to hunt for a dress before word gets out and all the good ones are taken. I wasn't sure if you'd want to come along for the first part, or if you'd wanted to get your costume as well."

"There's no way I'm getting my outfit from some small town tailor, so that last part is out of the question. As to the first… I guess I should, shouldn't I? I wish you would have mentioned it earlier. Just hurry up so we can leave already."

She only nodded, and we made our way to the dorm. She was in and out, as was to be expected of Granger, and we were on our way into town. The silence was almost unbearably awkward. I risked a glance in her direction and saw that her face was puffy, her eyes a little red, almost like she had been crying. It made me wish I had decided not to go with her. We checked out a few stores, actually finding some of the things we wanted, before heading into the tailors.

"I'll be hunting for costume designs while I'm in here as well, if you don't want to hang around. We can just check out the fabric, and you can be on your way."

"Sounds good to me, Granger."

"Hermione! Dear! I guess I'll be seeing a lot of you this year! Who's your friend? I don't think I've seen him in here before," a rather heavy set woman said as we walked in the store. She was pinning someone's dress, so I imagined that she was the tailor.

"Hello, Ms. Greenforth. This is the Head Boy, Draco Malfoy. We're here to look at some more fabric samples."

"Ah. Alright. You know where the books are, lass. Make sure that one doesn't break anything, you hear?"

"I'm sure I can keep him in line."

"Excuse me-!" I began, totally insulted by both of the women.

"Oh, Malfoy, just come on. It was a joke. We have to look at the swatches and stuff."

She led me to a back room filled with books of different fabric. The old bat who owned the shop organized them by color, so our search didn't take long. We found fabric for the chairs, tablecloths, drapes, and other accents. Granger took notes of the ones we liked, the ones we weren't sure of, and what items each fabric would be for. It pissed me off to see how organized she was.

"It must be a very boring life to lead if you're constantly making lists and organizing everything," I said. "Then again, I think boring suits you. You're about as plain as a doorknob."

She shot me a dirty look. "At least I'll have a list of all this stuff when you forget it. When planning something, it's important to make lists, or else the information just gets jumbled."

"You're borderline OCD, Granger."

"Not borderline, I actually do have obsessive compulsive disorder. It comes in handy most of the time."

I couldn't help it, I laughed. "Dear God, Granger, you're actually bonkers. This is like the greatest news I've heard all year."

She just sighed and shook her head, but I could see a smile playing on her lips as well. It made her look better, nice even, compared to that haunted look she had when we first started down here. All traces of her tears were just about gone. I cleared my throat and stood up from my chair before that thought was allowed to go any further.

"I'll leave you to it, then. I'm heading over to the Three Broomsticks, then back up to the castle. Have fun with your pathetic costume search."

"Whatever, Malfoy. I have everything handled here. Have fun with whatever it is you'll be doing."

"You know me, Granger. It's more like have fun with _whoever _I'm doing."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. It was so easy to piss her off, I thought as I left the shop. It was becoming a game, trying to break through that disturbing apathetic exterior she wore all the time. I enjoyed it, almost as much as I enjoyed Madam Rosmerta pouring me a shot of firewhiskey to go with my butterbeer. It wasn't cold enough out to warrant any of the warming effects from the drinks, but it was still nice. I found my thoughts drifting to that damned brunette again, so I asked for another shot. I would be damned if she was going to infiltrate my thoughts while I was trying to relax. No way in hell. I hated her.

Right?

That last thought burned so much more than any of the firewhiskey I had ever tried.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This one is a bit longer than the last couple of chapters. I just couldn't get around the end of it without making it go on for a little while longer. I hope you enjoy it, and I would love to hear what you have to say!**

**Thanks,**

**Chaos.**

**Chapter Eight**

_**Hermione**_

He left me at the shop by myself, and I was somewhat grateful for that. He was so obnoxious, being nice and making me laugh one moment before insulting me the next. He was just… so confusing. I didn't want to have to deal with that, not after the nightmares I had the night before. I hated waking up in tears from things I could never really remember. They were the worst kinds of nightmares- the ones where you don't know what you should be afraid of...

"Did that boy do something? He seemed to rush out of here pretty quickly," she said when she saw me.

"Nope. He's always like that. He never really liked me all that much. I think having to work with me this year is killing him."

"Stupid boys. He'll learn. Girls don't have cooties, you know."

I laughed. "I know. It's more an issue of… of blood status really."

"Oh, is he _that _Malfoy? Those hoity-toity purebloods?"

"Yeah, he's one of them. It happens, I guess. But enough about him! I need a dress for this stupid ball."

"Oh? You don't want to go?"

"Not really. We're celebrating when so many have died. I know they wouldn't want us to be sad, but this is a little extreme."

"No, sweetheart, it's not. You should never mourn someone, you should rejoice in the memories you have. This is just what the school needs, something to lift the heavy hearts of all the students," the woman said with a sigh. She knew that I was pretty darn close to a lost cause when it came to this. "But about your dress… What are you looking for? Any ideas?"

"Well, no, not really. I want something nice. It's a masquerade, which is probably my favorite thing in the world, and the colors are black and silver, so I'd like them with a pop of color. Maybe purple or something like that. I just want something that looks good. If I have to go, I may as well go all out."

"Okay. Well, let me sketch something up for you and take your measurements. This is for Halloween, right? So I'll have plenty of time?"

"Yeah. Just don't go overboard. I don't need a full princess skirt or anything. "

"Don't worry, I think I have just the thing."

A few minutes passed as I wandered her store. She sold all sorts of clothes, from school robes to dress robes to Muggle dresses. It was nice to see the variety. I always loved coming to this place for whatever it was I needed.

"Done," she said. "Come take a look."

I sighed happily when I walked over the counter and saw the image. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. "Oh, you did it again. I think this will be perfect. Do you think you could find a mask to match it?"

"Do I think I could find a mask to match… Dearie, what do you take me for? Of course. Now, let's take your measurements so I can send you on your merry way. I have an appointment in 20 minutes."

October approached much too quickly. I had smoothed things over with Harry, Ron, and Ginny. I hated fighting with them, but they had to learn to not make my living conditions any worse than they had to be. I decided I would just meet them in the Gryffindor common room if we ever wanted to hang out.

I was also impressed that, until the day after our first meeting with the prefects, that the word about the dance didn't get out. I knew there were only a few of us who knew, but stranger things have happened. I was just happy Malfoy and I were able to get the prefects under control. They had hated the idea of working together on this project- or I should say that the Gryffindors and Slytherins hated the idea- so they argued for the first 20 minutes until I flipped out on them, apparently instilling enough fear in them that they shut up for us to explain the rest of what would happen. By the end, they were all resigned to the idea that this might actually be fun, so they should stop acting like it was the worst thing that would ever happen to them. We were able to settle on a date for the trip to Hogsmead, delegate tasks to each of the houses, and make plans on when to meet so we could decorate the Great Hall before the dance actually began. I was impressed.

As they all filed out of our dorm, I stretched and went out to the kitchen to put water on for some tea. I made a habit out of asking if Malfoy wanted any, and it seemed to annoy him. He always grumbled a yes, though.

"Do you think we're actually going to be able to pull this off?" he asked suddenly.

"Well, I don't think they would have given us the task if they thought we wouldn't. I know they do things a bit… strangely… But they are good judges in character."

"Working with all those people… It's going to be rough."

"Well, the way I see it, you can handle Slytherin and the half of each Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw that associate with your house, while I can handle the Gryffindors and the other half of each of those houses who- shall we say- don't get along with Slytherin so well. If we stick to it like that, then we should be okay."

"That's… that's actually a good strategy."

"We should also agree that if the people doing the tasks we assign them misbehave, the other should step in and reinforce the message as well. We'll really have to do that with the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws since our own houses shouldn't have an issue listening to us."

"When did you get so good at planning strategies? It's a little unnerving."

I hesitated before finally pouring water into the tea cups and speaking, "I was the one who planned the details of our expedition into finding the Horcruxes that Voldemort used. I plotted every step, and with that, came the need to develop strategy. Ron… he just barged head first into everything, and Harry let emotion cloud his judgment far too much. I was the only levelheaded one out of the bunch. Someone had to take responsibility."

I brought the tea over to the table in the common room like I always did and sat on the couch across from him while I let my tea cool a bit. He was studying me for some reason, and I felt myself growing anxious.

"Why did you go with them? I never understood. You had the most to lose out of either of them, aside from Potter, of course. Your parents were Muggles, so you probably could've escaped to somewhere. Maybe to Australia, where you sent them. Why did you decide to go?"

I was taken aback again. I sighed and reached for my tea. It was still too hot, but the pain was nothing compared to my thoughts when I took the first sip. "How can I explain it? They're my friends, Harry and Ron, and I didn't want to abandon them to this mission. Harry could have figured things out easily enough, he's not stupid, and with Ron there, they would have been fine. I might have even saved them some complications if I had decided to stay back. But there's more to it than that… When I discovered I was a witch, I had never been happier in my life. I didn't realize, until the first time you called me a Mudblood, that they might have been something wrong with me. I was a blissfully ignorant child before that moment." He squirmed as I said that, but I pushed on. "I pushed myself even harder to prove that I was worthy of my spot at Hogwarts. No matter how many perfect scores I got, I still wasn't satisfied. I was disgusted my parentage as you seemed to be.

"When I saw the extent of Voldemort's hatred of Muggle-borns, when I learned of his heritage, I realized he probably had just as much resentment as I did, just as much to prove as I did; he just went mad under all that pressure. I wasn't going to lash out, nor was I going to retreat. I wanted to prove that you could be good and stand up to all of this. I wanted to prove that I was stronger than the Dark Lord because I hadn't given in to those self-destructive emotions. I wanted to protect my friends, save my family, and face down the man who told me that I couldn't.

"So I did, and sometimes I wish I hadn't. When I think back, when the nightmares are too much to bear, I wish I had someone erase my memory as well. I wish I had gone to that beach in Australia with my parents. But I didn't, and I realize how many lives I helped save, and it makes it just a little easier to deal with those memories."

I finished the rest of my tea and stood before he could speak.

"I'm going to go shower and head to bed. We have that test in potions tomorrow, and I do hope you studied. I don't want my grade to suffer because of you."

With that I walked away and into my dorm, not quite sure why I told him all of that when I hadn't even confided it to Harry or Ron or even Ginny. I felt like I would regret it in the morning, but at that moment, the hot lavender scented water erased all the walls I had put up. I leaned against the wall of the shower and cried until there were no more tears left to shed.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Today looks like a good writing day for me, so I should get this chapter and at least one more up by the end of it. I hope you all enjoy everything. I think next chapter is going to be the ball, so I'll try to get that up 3**

**Thanks,**

**Chaos.**

**Chapter Nine**

_**Draco**_

I was at a loss for words after Granger slipped up to her room. I felt… what… _sympathy_ for the Mudblood? How can you sympathize with someone that you despise more than anything else in the entire world?

I tried to shake the thoughts from my head, but they wouldn't leave. I got fed up with trying, drank my tea, and mulled over her words before going to my room. I was getting a headache and decided that sleeping would be the best thing for me. As I stripped and crawled under my covers, I heard a noise from the bathroom. It was only then I realized Granger was still in the shower, and that the increasingly familiar lavender scent was wafting into my room. Instead of her usual relaxed and content moans that seeped into my thoughts, I heard small sobs. I worried that I should see if she was alright, then mentally slapped myself for thinking that. I didn't give a damn about her. Let her cry. She didn't have to answer my question.

I finally had to cast a silencing charm around my room to keep the noise out. That didn't help either. Between the nagging sense of what I could only assume was guilt and the memories of her tears, I couldn't fall asleep anyway.

Time passed by slowly with Granger ignoring me. We only spoke at the prefect meetings or in class, and I could see that her little confession had taken as much of a toll on her as it did on me. As much as I missed our little bouts of bickering, I couldn't help but be grateful for the lack of contact with her. She had begun to get under my skin, and I didn't like that. The distance was better. When Halloween finally came around and it was time for us to decorate, we were somehow able to work as a team and keep the frustrated students in line. The only mishap that happened was when one of the Hufflepuffs knocked over a table containing all of the glass globes for the center of the tables. Granger was quick to repair everything, and I had the sense not to rip out their throats.

Two hours before the dance, Granger spoke up, "There's just some few last minute adjustments to make here, so you all can head back to your dorms. I can finish straightening up and setting the tables."

Everyone mumbled their thanks and made their way back to their dorms as quickly as possible. I held back to see just what Granger was playing at.

"What are you doing, Granger?"

"There really isn't that much left to do, and I don't take that long to get ready. Some of those girls will need the full two hours, and the guys really didn't want to be here in the first place. There was no reason anyone had to stay, and that goes for you too, Malfoy. If you want to go relax or hang out with your friends or get ready… I've got this covered."

I knew she could handle it, and the thought of being able to just relax for more than just a couple of minutes before the ball would be incredible, yet I found myself saying I would stay and help set the tables. She smiled a little and thanked me, then we set about our chores. There was a lot more than just a little to do, and we finished with an hour to spare.

I had gotten a costume from a shop in London that specialized in Victorian styles. It was a simple yet elegant black outfit with a small bit of silver in the trim and on the tie. The mask had the same simplicity, and even I had to admit that I had never seen myself look so good. I made my way down to the common room, and there was only 15 minutes left before we had to make out appearance. As Head Boy and Head Girl, we were required to show up together, another stupid rule implemented by Dumbledore. I think that man had it out for us.

"Granger, hurry up! We're going to be late!" I called up to her.

"I'm almost done, Malfoy! Relax!" she yelled back.

I paced the common room for five minutes before I heard the door to her room open, and I swear, until that moment, I had never seen a more beautiful woman. I knew I was staring, but I couldn't help it. Her dress was a perfect match for her, the delicate silver material- I believe she told me that type of fabric was chiffon- flowing around her, the corset bodice that hugged her body while still looking ethereal… Her mask was the same sheer silver material with the same purple ribbon that laced the back of her dress and lined the top of the bodice. Her curls were tamed into perfect ringlets that framed her face like a halo.

She was a vision, and I thought I'd throw up from how enthralled she had me. A mudblood shouldn't make my blood boil like this. I was almost angry at her for it.

"I'm sorry for making you wait. This dress was so hard to get into, and the _shoes…_ ugh. But I'm ready now, if you want to get going."

I shook my head, cleared my throat, and adjusted my mask before mumbling, "Sure," of all things. I wasn't entirely sure how I would make it through the night with her looking like that. I only hoped that she would disappear with Weasley and Potter once we arrived.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

_**Hermione**_

I knew he was watching me. I was almost… happy he was. I had spent more time than I thought I would getting every curl to sit _just _right and my eyeliner _just _the way I wanted it. The dress was damned hard to get into, and if it hadn't been for the spell Ms. Greenforth gave me, I could never have gotten the corset laced on my own. I was happy that my effort was being noticed. We were walking in silence, getting glances from the students as we passed. I realized that we probably looked like a couple, a rather striking couple with the way our outfits complemented each other, and that's what people were probably assuming. When we reached the main stairwell, he held his arm out to me, and I looked at him like he was crazy.

"I may hate you, Granger, but you are still a woman. I was raised with manners, like giving my arm to a lady while walking down the steps or entering the main event of the night. Please, don't make me look like an idiot for offering."

"Very well, Malfoy." I looped my arm with his and he led me down the steps. Every single eye was on us. "Mr. Malfoy, if I may, I think we're quite a scandal at the current moment."

He smiled, truly smiled, and said, "Why, Miss Granger, I think you would be right. This is rather amusing."

I laughed a little, drawing even more shocked stares, before finally reaching the Entrance Hall where a lot of the students were gathered. "We should go in and make sure everything is going off without a hitch," I said with a sigh, "You know, for as much as I love the people openly gaping at us, and everything."

He smiled again and led me into the Great Hall. With the lights dimmed and all the decorations in place, I was almost speechless by how well everything turned out. The walls were draped with black and silver fabric that took on a faint blue hue from the orb lights that were floating around the room. We had white flowers spilling from glass globes on tables, and candles in each of the corners to give a bit more light. It was breathtaking.

"We did very well, Granger."

"Yes, we did, Malfoy."

Dumbledore came over to greet us, wearing one of those plain white plastic-y masks. "Ah, good, good. I'm so happy you made it on time. The professors are gathering the students now, and then you'll share the first dance, and we'll be able to really start the party."

"We have to dance?" I asked.

"Did I forget to mention that? I'm terribly sorry. It's just a two-step waltz. You'll both do fine. Come with me to the front so we can start this."

I looked at Malfoy, and he just shook his head. After welcoming the students to the ball, Dumbledore introduced us as Head Boy and Head Girl.

"I want you all to see what house unity has brought us, this beautiful ball and the brightest Head Boy and Head Girl that we have had in a very long time. Let them share the first dance, and hope that we can all conduct ourselves with the grace and dignity that they do."

I blushed from his words, but was quickly distracted by Malfoy bowing his head in _respect_ to me and holding out his hand. He was a good actor; I almost believed he was sincere. The music began and I took his hand so he could lead me out to the dance floor. Before I knew it, his hand was on my hip, my hand was on his shoulder, and he was leading us in a much more complicated dance than the simple two-step. He held my gaze the entire time, and only the small smile that touched his lips warned me before he spun me out from him then pulled me back to him. I was giddy from the rush and dizziness until I noticed the peculiar look on his face. It was somewhere between sorrow and disgust, but either way, it was something I didn't want to look at. The smile fell from my face rather quickly, and we went straight back to strictly dancing until the song ended. We bowed to each other and the crowd clapped until Dumbledore announced that the party could really begin. Malfoy was moving quickly away from me, and I had to stop myself from reaching out toward him.

What was wrong with me? It was Malfoy! I didn't care about him.

Right?

Ron came over and spun me around before I could follow that particular train of thought anywhere I would regret going. "I'm so sorry you had to dance with that git."

"He wasn't bad. We barely argue anymore," I responded without thinking about who I was talking to.

"So you're defending him now? Are you getting cozy with Malfoy now?"

"Gods, Ron, no. We're just civil with each other, which is how it should be."

"You looked like you were having a good time out there," he accused.

"Mate, stop bothering her. We're here to have fun, right?" Harry tried to interject, but I was already too angry.

"Yes, I was having a bloody good time, okay? He's a fantastic dancer, and he treated me, of all things, the way a gentleman should! Go to hell, Ron."

I stomped off in the opposite direction, toward the drinks, grateful that someone had already spiked the punch by the time I got there.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

_**Draco**_

I tried to keep my mind off of what I felt when I was dancing with Granger. She just… she fit so nicely against me as we danced, and I lost myself in her honey colored eyes, and the damned scent of lavender and _happiness_ clung to her skin…

Fuck. What was she doing to me?

The girl I had been shagging came over to me while I was in the midst of these thoughts. She dragged me out to the dance floor while some upbeat song was playing. She was rubbing against me while she danced, and all I could think was that Granger, that insufferable Granger, would never lower herself to this sort of behavior to get the attraction of a man. She didn't have to. She just worked her way under someone's skin and stayed there like some annoyingly pleasent itch that wouldn't go away no matter how much you scratched.

I took my dance partner by the arm, whispered in her ear that we should get out of there, and we found an abandoned class room down the hall. She went to take her mask off, but I was in no mood to see her face, so I had her keep it on. While she was on her knees in front of me, my thoughts kept drifting back to Granger. I couldn't… I couldn't get her out of my head. I pulled my partner up off her knees and flipped her around so she was bent over the desk I had been leaning against. From behind, her brunette hair was all I needed to imagine this was Granger and that I was fucking her and that I was doing it simply to hurt her. Everytime the truth bubbled up to the surface, that I wanted it to be Granger because she was beautiful and vivacious and incredible, I thrust in harder. Even when she was spent, I just couldn't reach that point. I couldn't bring myself over the edge.

Finally, I was disgusted enough that I pulled out and zipped my pants up again.

"Draco… What's wrong?" she asked, turning around to face me, finally breaking every ounce of my fantasy.

"Just get the fuck out of here. I'm sick of looking at you. And you better not tell a soul about this or I swear to whatever Gods there are that I will ruin your life," I said, reiterating the point by giving her the most vile glare before I pointedly looked away from her. The sobs that came out of her mouth were almost haunting.

I headed back to the common room after that. I didn't have the energy to be around people. I was pissed off and angry and wanted nothing more than to be able to hide from the world for a while. I found my bottle of firewhiskey and sat in front of the fireplace, still in my costume, just minus the mask, and drank until almost half the bottle was gone. I wasn't sure what time it was when Granger returned. She was quiet as she entered, and she asked me if I was okay.

In response, I threw the rest of the firewhiskey, bottle and all into the fire, creating quite the explosion. She flinched backwards, and I walked over to her, caressing her face.

"No, Granger. I am not _fucking _fine. You are ruining my life."

With that I shoved her up against the wall, yanking off her mask so I could see her face. Her eyes were wild with fear and I knew she could smell the whiskey on my breath. I knew her fear was justified.

"Malfoy what are you doing?" her voice was strong despite her increasing heart rate.

"You have no idea what you're doing to me, Granger. None. You're destroying my self control, you're ruining my outlook on life, and you're giving me… you're giving me these urges that are so wrong, so disgusting, but I can't resist them. You're a mudblood, for God's sake! You're lower than me, inferior, _pathetic_, yet I want you more than I think I've ever wanted someone in my entire life. I hate myself for wanting you. I _hate _you, Hermione! I hate you!"

She looked at me with such wide eyes, but there was no longer fear in them. Somehow, that pissed me off even more. I wanted her to fear me. Perhaps if she would, then I would know when to stop, I would know that it was time to give up, that I had pushed her away for good, but the pity and sadness that was there… It was enough to make my blood boil.

I pushed her to the ground and pinned her arms to the ground. She made no noise, she didn't beg, and she was still looking at me with those cursed eyes.

"Why won't you say anything? Why won't you fight? You know I hate you! I could do so many terrible things to you right now, and you're just going to sit there and take it! What kind of person are you? I hate you," my voice was reaching hysterical levels, and still she looked calm. "I hate you, Hermione. I hate you…"

"I know you won't hurt me," she whispered quietly.

My anger flourished again, "How would you know that, huh? What makes you think you're so damned special?"

She smiled softly, "Because you called me Hermione."

And then she did something I don't think either of us expected. She leaned up and kissed me gently on the lips, and my grip on her wrists slackened. I felt my entire body begin to vibrate, and only when she reached up and brushed a tear from my face did I realize I was crying.

It was like floodgate had been released, and the tears flowed freer than they ever had before. I collapsed onto her chest, and of all the things she could do, she held me, running her fingers through my hair and mumbling sweet words to try and calm me down. I supposed that was when every idea I had bred into me burst into flames. Having your entire life ripped away from you because of one person, one woman, who defied all your logic was more painful than getting the Dark Mark. I realized that my father had been wrong, that Voldemort had been wrong, and that the mark on my arm was the worst mistake I could have ever made.

I burried my facein her hair until all the tears were gone, and she held me the entire time. When I was done, she led me upstairs to my room, helped me strip out of my clothes and put on my pajamas.

"Please… stay with me, Hermione. Please…"

She nodded, her eyes catching the light from the candle beside my bed. I realized, vaguely, that she had been crying as well. She disappeared for the longest minute of my life, then crawled into bed next to me, pulling me closer to her so my head was resting on her chest and she could run her hand through my hair to put me to sleep.

I think that was the moment I fell in love with her.

**A/N: This was a really difficult chapter to write, trying to put my head in Draco's while all these thoughts were going through it. I wanted everyone to know, before flames begin, that it was meant to be extreme and slightly incoherent. Every single thing he ever believed in was being eroded because of the girl he hated and competed against for the last 7 years of his life. I just wanted to assure everyone that the next chapter will bring a bit more clarity. **

**Thanks,**

**Chaos. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

_**Hermione**_

I think it was the sadness in his eyes, the pure agony in his every movement, that made me want to sleep next to Mal-_Draco_- I definitely had to start calling him Draco- that night. He was restless even in his sleep, so I kept running my hands through his hair in hopes that he would relax. It took a little over an hour, but he was out cold, peace finally working its way into his features. I was able to relax and even I ended up sleeping better than I had in a long time.

The light streaming in from his window woke me the next morning. I stretched, but found the bed empty next to me. There was a moment of panic, that he had left because I had done something wrong, but I looked around and saw him leaning against the window sill, a blanket wrapped around him. I walked over quietly and leaned against the other side of the window.

"Are you feeling any better?" I asked quietly.

He looked at me, then looked back out across the grounds. "I can't think of any words that can describe how sorry I am. Last night… God, I don't even want to think about it. It was so horrible."

"Draco, I really mean it when I say that it was okay. We all explode sometimes. It's bound to happen."

"I could've hurt you, Hermione. I could have… I was so drunk, I don't know what I would've done to you. Why did you trust me?"

It was my turn to sigh. "I don't know really. You were so… lost. I've been there, believe it or not, and I just needed you to know that you weren't alone, because when I had to go through it, I was."

He looked at me like he had never seen me before. "Hermione, I don't know what you did to make me feel like this. I'm so… scared. Everything I knew is gone. I'm left marked for a cause I now know isn't right, and I've done things because of that cause that I will forever regret. I don't know how to come to terms with the two different ideals."

"It's not what you did that matters; it's what you do from here on out that counts. I learned from experience that the best you can do is get out of bed in the morning and greet the day like it would be your last. Don't have any regrets, and atone for it if you feel you have to. Other than that, just breathe. Take it one day at a time. That's what you should do. Everything else will follow."

The strangest look came over his face then, and he almost smiled, "No regrets, huh?"

Before I could finish nodding, his lips were pressed against mine. My kiss last night was nothing, it left a trickle of emotion in its wake, but when he kissed me… it was a tidal wave and I thought I just might drown. When he pressed me against the wall this time, my heart was racing for a different reason. He was gentler than I expected him to be, his hands caressing-not groping- whatever they could get their hands on. When he went to reach for my shirt, I hesitated.

His hands dropped from me as if I had burned him, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you…"

"No, no, you didn't. It's not that, I just… I guess… Here, I'll show you."

I pulled my shirt slowly up and over my head, letting it pool on the ground next to me. I heard his gasp, and _oh, _how I wished it was because he thought I was beautiful. I knew it wasn't, though. The scars that covered my torso were vivid, harsh lines, crisscrossing in all sorts of horrible patterns. He reached out to me slowly and traced the one right below my sternum sending shivers through my body. Before I could speak, he pulled me to him and held me so tight I had trouble catching my breath.

"No one deserves to experience that, especially not you. Gods, Hermione, I'm so sorry for everything that has happened to you, even the things I didn't do. You shouldn't have had to face so much alone."

"You shouldn't have, either." I cleared my throat a little. "I can put my shirt back on again if it freaks you out. I know it's gross…"

He kissed my temple, the sweetest gesture anyone had ever done for me, and pushed me away just enough so he could look at my face. "You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Why on earth would I want you to put your clothes back on?" He smiled that dazzling smile at me again, and I found myself returning it, tears in my eyes, before he kissed me again.

I let him guide me over the bed where I pulled him down on top of me. He kissed every inch of exposed skin, and by the time he flicked his tongue over my left breast, I was coming undone. He looked for permission before reaching for my pants, and I nodded shyly. He saw the scars that decorated my legs, sighed, and kissed every single one of them. He trailed his fingers up my inner thigh, always getting closer to the small spot of wetness that was beginning to dampen my underwear. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he touched me there, ever so lightly, just through my underwear, and I thought I had died.

I gave him permission, when he asked, to take off my underwear. He did so in a fluid motion and was back within a second to making small circles right where I wanted him to. Slowly, he slipped one finger inside of me, and the sound I made was one I never thought I was possible of making. I sounded sexy even to my own ears.

"You're so tight, love… Is this… is this your first time? For any of this?" He asked gently, and I could feel the blush creep over my cheeks before I nodded. "Well, then, I guess we'll just have to make it special."

I felt what I thought was either an earthquake or a heart attack rumble through my body as he said those words, and for a moment, I truly forgot how to breathe.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

_**Draco**_

When the first orgasm shook her body, I almost came myself. I couldn't believe the gift she was giving me. After all she had faced… After all I put her through…

She was the most amazing woman I had ever met.

There was a sweet scent that could only be coming from her, and I knew I had to see if she tasted as good as she smelled. I repositioned myself so I could run my tongue along her opening, and her reaction was incredible. I brought her closer and closer before pulling away and coming back with even more force. She was unraveling, turning into a puddle, and all she seemed to be able to do was moan and clutch my hair, pushing me even closer to her. The second time she came, I was there to lick up every single drop that spilled from her.

I moved up so I could kiss her face, letting her taste herself on my tongue, and I felt my erection rub against her thigh through my pants. Her eyes widened slightly, so I knew she felt it.

"We don't have to do anymore, love. I'm not going to push you into something you may regret."

She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then met my gaze with her own. I could see a hunger there the likes of which I had never witnessed. "No regrets, right?" she half whispered, a smile ghosting her lips.

I kissed her, and she reached for my pants, tugging them down over my hips, and I pushed them off the rest of the way. I paused for a moment, reaching for my wand to perform the contraception spell I had always relied upon. She nodded, knowingly, and I kissed her again.

"Are you sure?" I asked her one final time as I positioned myself outside of her enrance.

"Yes," she said with all the conviction I needed to slowly slip inside of her. When I met with resistance, she winced a little. I kissed her, holding her tightly to me, as I pushed through the last barrier to ecstasy that she had. She groaned in pain and I held myself still, not wishing to cause her anymore discomfort as she adjusted to me. When she nodded slightly at me, I began to move slowly in and out of her, using all of my self-control. I was pretty sure this was what Heaven felt like.

She raked her nails across my shoulders as my thrusts gradually got faster. I could feel her muscles beginning to clench around me, and her hips began to rise to meet mine, and the world slid out of focus when her orgasm tossed me over the edge as well.

I all but collapsed on top of her, our bodies sticking together from the sheen of sweat that now covered us. When I finally caught my breath, I eased out of her knowing she would be sore. I went to move off her, but she held me there.

"Thank you, Draco," she whispered softly.

I responded with the first thing that came to mind, "I love you, Hermione."

I instantly regretted it, because her muscles tensed beneath me. I was afraid to look at her face, but when her body began to tremble, I pulled away just enough to see what was the matter.

She was crying.

"Hermione, what's wrong? Did I do something? I'm sorry, I knew it was too soon-" she silenced me with a kiss.

"I'm just so happy…"

I smiled and rolled over so she was half laying on my chest, "I'm glad to hear that."

"You know, Draco… I think I love you too."

I can't recall a happier moment in my life.

We eventually made it out of bed after talking for a while. She was mortified when she saw the blood on the sheets; I had to all but shove her into the bathroom so she could shower while I changed the bedding. I decided to join her when she still wasn't out by the time I was done, just for a shower, and we headed down to the Great Hall together for what happened to be lunch by that time. We split ways once we got into the Great Hall, unsure of what our next move should be. We had decided only telling our close and trusted friends for that moment would be the best course of action. Neither of us were ready for the drama otherwise.

I sat at the Slytherin table next to Blaise after taking one last glance at Hermione.

"So… Granger, huh?" was all Blaise had to say. I looked at him shocked, wondering how rumors could have spread already when he laughed and said, "I'm your best friend, mate. I can see when things are up with you. I've only known you since we were in diapers, geez. Relax. When did this happen?"

"Last night, I guess. I was kind of drunk and said some things I shouldn't have said and maybe had a small mental breakdown, and she was there for me through all of it. I was pretty damn nasty to her, too, but she rolled with the punches better than even you do when I'm like that."

"She's some girl then."

"Yeah… Blaise… We were wrong, so very wrong about everything."

"The whole bloodlines thing? I know. We were kids, though. We need to cut ourselves some slack."

"She told me I shouldn't have any regrets, that I should speak with my actions now, instead of apologizing."

"She always was brilliant."

"I'm happy you're cool with this. I didn't know how you'd react."

"Well, I guess I'm reacting better than her friends are if she's telling them what you're telling me."

I looked over quickly to her table. Both of the Weasley's were a shade of red I hadn't seen before, and Potter was just shaking his head sadly. She appeared to be pleading with them, and Potter was the one to nod and convince the others to follow her out of the hall. I wanted to go to her, but knowing her personality, I figured she'd just be insulted by me interfering. I'd handle the aftermath, whatever that may be.

**A/N: So about that smut I promised in the description… I hope I didn't disappoint :)**

**Chaos.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

_**Hermione**_

"Can you please tell me what the bloody hell you were thinking? You do realize that's Malfoy, right? You know, the Death Eater?" It was Harry who said that, and I found myself wincing at his words.

I knew telling them was a bad idea. I knew they would react like this. Somehow, I still ended up by the lake, pulling my sweater closer to my body to keep more than the November chill out of my bones. They were reacting precisely like the logical side of me assumed they would.

"You won't let me explain-" I tried, futilely, because Ron simply plowed over my words.

"You've obviously lost your marbles, or he's brainwashed you, or something. This isn't the Hermione we knew, traipsing about with Malfoy."

"Ron's right, 'Mione. Are you sure you're not just lashing out? You did go through a lot this summer…"

I don't know if it was being lectured by a girl who was younger than me or what she was throwing in my face, but I really did lose it for a minute.

"You know _nothing _about him. Nothing! You know what I realized last night? He's faced just as much as any of us. He was in the war too. He saw just as much bloodshed as we did. He lost family. And for what? Nothing. He didn't get a damned thing out of it. He was a child, and last night, I saw he still has that inside of him. He isn't a bad person; he's a victim of circumstance, and I will _not _sit here and listen to you say all these terrible things about him when I'm pretty sure he's treated me better in the last 24 hours than any of you have in the entire time I've known you!"

Harry was first to break the stunned silence, "You… You really like him, don't you?"

My shoulders slumped, "Gods, Harry… I think I love him."

"Oh… 'Mione…" Harry said as he put his hand on my shoulder.

"Wh-What? What is this? You're showing her _sympathy?_ She's obviously delusional, Harry. You can't side with her on this!" Ron yelled. I was getting really tired of his voice.

"Ron, she deserves to be happy. Just because we don't like the bloke-"

"He's not just some bloke Harry! He's a Death Eater!"

They went back and forth like that for a minute or two before my vision began to swim. I shook my head and raised my voice again, determined to not let them stress me out.

"Just shut up, all of you. I am with Draco Malfoy. I do not know where it is going, I don't know if there's even a label on us yet, but I do know I love him. You can go quarrel inside, because right now, I just want to be alone."

"You have no right-!" Ron began but Harry grabbed his arm, shutting him up, and dragged him (almost literally) back up to the school. Ginny was the only one who looked back, shooting me a troubled look, before running to help Harry.

I sat on the edge of the water, looking out as the thestrals did their lap over the water. Being able to see them, since it took actually witnessing a death, brought back so many unwanted memories. I wondered how many other students here could see them, and I began to weep for the loss of innocence.

That was how Draco found me, however long later. The tears had stopped, but I could feel the salt trails they left behind. He sat next to me, saying nothing, and put his arm around my shoulders.

"You want to talk about it?" he whispered quietly after a moment.

"I don't know. I just… I just don't know."

"Well, I'm here if you need to vent."

I don't know what possessed me to say it, but before I knew it…

"You know, it was your aunt, Bellatrix, that did all of that to me, the one who left all those scars…"

He stiffened. "No, I didn't know that."

"Yeah. We had just found the fifth horcrux, and a group of Death Eaters caught us. They brought us back to your house, the Malfoy Manor, and she was waiting there for us. She separated me from the boys since they weren't giving up any information. I was the collateral damage. The first time she used the Cruciatus curse on me, I screamed, the second and third times as well. The fourth… I didn't have anything left in me to scream. That went for the fifth and sixth times as well. That's when she gave up and tossed me in a cell. The next time she brought me out, she began to cut me. There was magic behind it, that's why I have all those scars. I didn't give in, though. I couldn't. Too much was riding on it.

"I've used my… strength to help me reconcile the things that happened to me, but every time I think back to that final night, or what I remember of it, I also remember the few weeks afterward when I was barely human. I couldn't eat, I couldn't speak, I had to be drugged so I'd sleep… It was hell.

"But I got over the worst of it, and yet Ginny told me she thinks I'm just lashing out because of everything I faced. That I'm throwing some sort of tantrum like a little child would. I know, somewhere, that she's wrong, but there's also some part of me that wonders if she might be right."

He was quiet for a few minutes, taking everything in, I guessed, before he turned my face so I was looking at him. "Hermione, I believe that you are a very strong woman. I feel like you can make rational decisions, all on your own, and I have no doubt that you are in a perfect state of mental health. I saw you laugh, and smile, and sleep soundly. I know that you still hold pain inside of you, but you're beyond strong enough to deal with it. If you have any doubts, any at all, I will give you the time to come to those conclusions on your own. I will be here waiting, but I'd understand."

I touched his face, almost not believing he was still there with me after everything, and kissed him. Somewhere, in the deepest, darkest parts of my soul, I felt something starting to heal.


	15. Epilogue

**A/N: I'm terribly sorry for how long this chapter has taken. I was facing some difficulties in my life, and every time I tried to approach this story again, I felt like I had hit a wall. I took some time and finally read through everything again, only to realize the reason for that: the last chapter really should have been the end. I was trying to add more to a story that was already finished. So, dear readers, this will be the epilogue, but I have another story almost complete that I will be publishing soon. I hope you enjoy this conclusion just as I hope to see some of you reviewing the next story I write.**

**xoxo**

**Chaos**

**Epilogue**

_**Third Person**_

A man walked into the small room he had been forbidden to enter all day. His curiosity got the better of him, and superstitions be damned, he would see the bride before the wedding march began.

She was breathtaking, her curly hair pulled back into a bun, only a few strands flowing rebelliously around her face. The dress she wore hugged her every curve and reminded him so much of the dress she had worn all those years ago on the first fateful night he had fallen in love with her. There had been other times, times when he fell in love all over again, like the day she accepted his proposal as they stood atop the Eiffel Tower.

"Hello, Hermione," he whispered as he came up behind her.

"I thought my mother told you she would murder you if she caught you in here?"

"Well, I'm Draco Malfoy, the man who was courageous enough to propose to her daughter. I'm sure I'll survive."

"Or bribe her, like you did the last time you upset her."

"She does love that new stove, doesn't she?"

The girl laughed and pulled her fiancés arms around her waist tighter. "Draco… You really want this, right? You really want to marry me?"

"Where on earth is this coming from? It's been, what, seven years since I told you I loved you for the first time? I would have left a thousand I love you's ago if I didn't plan on saying it ten thousand times more."

She smiled, "Good. I was really hoping you'd say that…" She turned to face him, and worry quickly etched itself into his expression.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Not at all, Draco, I just… We're going to be having a baby."

The world seemed to slow down for a time, and he asked her if she was certain before dropping to his knees to kiss her stomach and hold her close.

"Oh, Hermione, I'm so happy."

"You're not upset or anything? You don't think it's too soon?"

"Of course not. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Hermione Jane Granger, and with our baby."

Her mother's voice came from the hall announcing it was time for them to start.

"No regrets, right?" she asked as he brushed a tear from her face.

He nodded, "I love you, Hermione."

"I love you too, Draco. Forever."


End file.
